Couldn't agree more.....hatchbacks are practical, but with a big hole at the back you get more noise and more chassis flex than a saloon with the natural bracing at the bottom of the rear screen. When I had my S4 saloon, everyone told me I should have got the Avant as it would be more popular at resale time, to which my response was:
1. I don't buy my cars for someone else, so if I prefer the saloon, then that's what I'll buy...too many people buy their car with an eye on what the second owner would want, and then drive it for many years without everything THEY want just in order to make it more attractive at resale....It's your car so spec' it the way you want it I say !!
2. The saloon was quieter (without the big hole at the back creating a sound box ), and handled beautifully due to the stiffer bodyshell... My mate had the Avant and it was nothing like as solid, was noisier and gave very mixed feedback when pushing on.
If Audi go ahead and make the saloon ( with manual gearbox ), then I really think it would be a massive seller ( I would move heaven and earth to buy one, and that hasn't been the case for many cars )....it just looks RIGHT, which many cars these days don't, and often if it looks right, then it feels right as well.